Eng 112 - a Diamond in the Rough or a Boy with a Flawed Character?

ENG -112

Alex Antunes

Final Paper: Aladdin

A diamond in the rough or a boy with a flawed character?

In his quest to acquire fortune and win the princess’ heart, Aladdin lies, shows off, and hurts those who love him. Are these the characteristics of a diamond in the rough, or are they those of a deceitful person with no principles? These elements can be found in the original Aladdin and the Magic Lamp and in the Disney film, Aladdin. There are traces of Aladdin’s bad behavior in both tales, but the similarities between the two depictions are only related to Aladdin’s morals. In fact, there are many more differences between the two stories than similarities. In the original story, Aladdin is described as a careless boy who only wants to play. His father worries about him not having a trade, and his grief is so great that he dies, but even his father’s death is not enough to change Aladdin’s childish behavior. In contrast, in the movie, Aladdin is a homeless thief who lies about his origins.

One can argue that such behavior can be linked to irresponsible parenting. Is Aladdin the only one at fault for his recklessness? Was it the responsibility of his parents to educate and help him develop as a person? If a child’s only interest is to play outside, and he does not care about learning, it is his parents’ job to guide him and teach him right from wrong. There is no evidence of Aladdin’s parents asserting their authority to correct his bad manners in the original version of the story, giving the impression that Aladdin was left to his own devices. In the movie, he has no parents, and he is not presented as an idle person like he is in the original story. In the first scene of the film, he runs from the guards after stealing. He shows agility and knows how to fight, is skilled with a sword, and is able to escape capture. However, the movie does a better job of showing Aladdin as a compassionate person, as he shares his stolen bread with two hungry children. The audience might forget that he committed a crime when he stole the bread. This is because Disney knows how to appeal to its audience; the underdog who fights the tyrants and gives to the poor always wins their sympathy. However, if Aladdin can put on such a nimble performance to escape the guards, he should be able to use this same agility and wit to earn an honest leaving.

In the book Fatherless, the author David Blankenhorn states that fatherlessness is the most harmful demographic trend in any society. According to him, it is the leading cause of children’s declining well-being and the engine driving most social problems. The lack of principals that Aladdin shows is a reflection of his absentee parents. Blankenhorn states that “a good society celebrates the ideal of the man who